Jonathan Kuminga Rejects Warriors Offer: What’s Next?
The Golden State Warriors continue their efforts to retain Jonathan Kuminga, but the player, who is a restricted free agent, continues to reject the two-year, $45 million contract offer. Kuminga’s decision is largely due to the Warriors’ insistence on including a team option for the second season and their refusal to allow him to keep the no-trade clause incorporated. Kuminga’s agent, Aaron Turner, presented the Warriors with several frameworks during a couple of summer league meetings in Las Vegas, including a three-year deal for around $82 million that would allow the Warriors to stay below the second “apron” to use the taxpayer mid-level exception. Kuminga and Turner have taken advantage of the month of July to explore “sign-and-trade” options. The most significant negotiations have been with the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns, receiving offers of up to four years for almost 90 million dollars in total, including a player option for the last season. The Warriors have not shown interest in the Kings’ and Suns’ trade counterparts for Kuminga. In recent days, they have begun to point to a plan to completely cut off “sign-and-trade” conversations, making the most of their influence as restricted free agents. His current stance is that Kuminga will be on the Warriors’ roster to start next season, whether through his two-year offer or the one-year, $7.9 million qualifying offer, whichever Kuminga prefers. Kuminga prefers the long-term offers presented by the Kings and the Suns because he believes they signify a fresh start, a guaranteed larger role, a promised starting position, and a greater level of respect and control over his career, which is partly shown through the player option. Phoenix’s proposal also guarantees almost 70 million dollars more than the Warriors’ offer.This ongoing stalemate is largely about control, and the dispute over the option is fundamental. Kuminga believes that accepting the Warriors’ two-year offer with a team option, along with waiving the no-trade clause, cedes too much control to a franchise that he believes has hindered and prolonged his career for four seasons. The Suns and Kings have offered Kuminga the kind of defined role that has eluded him with the Warriors. Golden State coach Steve Kerr made several comments after the Jimmy Butler trade that Kuminga’s fit alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green made it difficult to give him consistent minutes. The Warriors believe they have the best offer on the table for Kuminga due to the higher starting salary ($21.7 million next season compared to $19.8 million elsewhere) and the concept of a two-year team option. The deal is purposely structured to be tradeable starting January 15th, and if Kuminga’s ultimate desire is to play elsewhere, it would allow his next team to decline the team option and extend him. He would be the fourth highest-paid player on the Warriors next season if he accepted the offer. Golden State is the only NBA team that hasn’t made an acquisition in the offseason due to the lack of resolution with Kuminga. According to the collective bargaining agreement, the contract proposed by the Warriors of one plus one would have an inherent no-trade clause, as Kuminga’s next team would not retain his Bird rights. That would give Kuminga a level of control over his next NBA home, in case the Warriors decided to trade him. But the Warriors have requested that he waive that implicit no-trade clause, similar to what D’Angelo Russell did for his contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2023. That negotiation is another example of the ongoing back-and-forth for control of Kuminga’s future. That’s why, despite the short- and long-term financial risk, Kuminga is expressing his willingness to potentially take the qualifying offer. He would be rejecting almost 14 million extra dollars next season, but would be given an implicit no-trade clause and an opportunity for unrestricted free agency next summer at age 23. Kuminga has until October 1st to sign the qualifying offer.I am in no rush to move forward with a deal with the Warriors.
Jonathan Kuminga
